On With The Show!

With the announcement of the NHL's TV schedule today, there is a lot to be happy for in the Manitoba capital. The Winnipeg Jets were once the never-seens on CBC's Hockey Night in Canada because their central time zone start times never coincided with HNiC's start times for the early or late games. Of course, that was 15 years ago, and it appears that the times are changing with the new schedule released today. Not only will the Jets be on TV, but they will be on a lot!

On June 23, the full NHL schedule was released, and I went over it in detail. There are a lot of games that look like they would be a broadcaster's dream, so I was anticipating a lot of CBC and TSN trucks rolling into Winnipeg for a night at MTS Centre. It appears there are only a handful of games that won't be seen on either a national or regional broadcast, and that's good for Winnipeggers who may have missed out on the 13,000 tickets released by the team.

Here's a quick rundown of the games we'll see on TV. Again, home games are in orange while road games are in white.

• Sunday, October 9 vs. Montreal (5PM ET) - CBC, RDS, and the NHL Network will all be in town to catch the very first Winnipeg Jets game of the season. Hockey Night in Canada should have their entire contingent here, and this is expected to be a national broadcast.
• Thursday, October 13 @ Chicago (8:30PM ET) - NHL on TSN nationally.
• Saturday, October 15 @ Phoenix (7PM ET) - CBC's Hockey Night in Canada regionally.
• Monday, October 17 vs. Pittsburgh (8:30PM ET) - no TV coverage.
• Wednesday, October 19 @ Toronto (7:30PM ET) - NHL on TSN nationally.
• Thursday, October 20 @ Ottawa (7:30PM ET) - no TV coverage.
• Saturday, October 22 vs. Carolina (7PM ET) - CBC's Hockey Night in Canada for viewer's in Manitoba and west. Viewers in Ontario and east will likely get the Maple Leafs-Canadiens game as the early NHL action. Ottawa will see the Seantors-Blue Jackets regionally.
• Monday, October 24 vs. NY Rangers (8:30PM ET) - no TV coverage.
• Thursday, October 27 @ Philadelphia (7PM ET) - no TV coverage.
• Saturday, October 29 @ Tampa Bay (7PM ET) - CBC's Hockey Night in Canada for viewer's in Manitoba and west. Viewers in Ontario and east will likely get the Maple Leafs-Penguins game as the early NHL action. Ottawa will have the Senators-Rangers tilt locally with American coverage provided by the NHL Network. Quebec will have the Canadiens-Bruins game on CBC regionally, through RDS, and American viewers will see this game on the NHL Network.
• Monday, October 31 @ Florida (7:30PM ET) - no TV coverage.
• Thursday, November 3 @ NY Islanders (7PM ET) - no TV coverage.
• Saturday, November 5 @ New Jersey (7PM ET) - CBC's Hockey Night in Canada for viewer's in Manitoba and west. Viewers in Ontario and east will likely get the Maple Leafs-Bruins game as the early NHL action. Ottawa gets the Senators-Sabres game regionally. The Canadiens and Rangers will be featured in Quebec regionally, on RDS, and in America via the NHL Network.
• Sunday, November 6 @ NY Rangers (7PM ET) - no TV coverage.
• Tuesday, November 8 @ Buffalo (7PM ET) - no TV coverage.
• Thursday, November 10 vs. Florida (8:30PM ET) - no TV coverage.
• Saturday, November 12 @ Columbus (7PM ET) - CBC's Hockey Night in Canada for viewer's in Manitoba and west. Viewers in Ontario and east will likely get the Maple Leafs-Senators game as the early NHL action. Quebec will see the Canadiens-Predators on CBC and RDS.
• Monday, November 14 vs. Tampa Bay (8:30PM ET) - no TV coverage.
• Thursday, November 17 vs. Washington (8:30PM ET) - no TV coverage.
• Saturday, November 19 vs. Philadelphia (3PM ET) - CBC's Hockey Night in Canada nationally as the first game in a triple-header day of hockey.
• Wednesday, November 23 @ Washington (7PM ET) - no TV coverage.
• Friday, November 25 @ Carolina (7PM ET) - no TV coverage.
• Saturday, November 26 @ Boston (7PM ET) - CBC's Hockey Night in Canada for viewer's in Manitoba and west. Viewers in Ontario and east will likely get the Canadiens-Penguins game as the early NHL action. The Canadiens-Penguins game will also be carried by RDS and the NHL Network.
• Tuesday, November 29 vs. Ottawa (8:30PM ET) - no TV coverage.
• Thursday, December 1 vs. Phoenix (8:30PM ET) - no TV coverage.
• Saturday, December 3 vs. New Jersey (7PM ET) - CBC's Hockey Night in Canada for viewer's in Manitoba and west. Viewers in Ontario and east will likely get the Maple Leafs-Bruins game as the early NHL action.
• Tuesday, December 6 vs. Boston (8:30PM ET) - no TV coverage.
• Friday, December 9 vs. Carolina (8:30PM ET) - no TV coverage.
• Saturday, December 10 @ Detroit (7PM ET) - CBC's Hockey Night in Canada for viewer's in Manitoba and west. Viewers in Ontario and east will likely get the Canadiens-Devils game as the early NHL action. Ottawa has the Senators-Capitals game regionally.
• Tuesday, December 13 vs. Minnesota (8:30PM ET) - no TV coverage.
• Thursday, December 15 vs. Washington (8:30PM ET) - no TV coverage.
• Saturday, December 17 vs. Anaheim (7PM ET) - CBC's Hockey Night in Canada for viewer's in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta. Viewers in BC, Ontario and east will likely get the Maple Leafs-Canucks game as the early NHL action. Quebec will have the Canadiens-Devils game regionally.
• Tuesday, December 20 vs. NY Islanders (8:30PM ET) - no TV coverage.
• Thursday, December 22 vs. Montreal (8:30PM ET) - RDS, aka French TSN, is here as the only broadcaster.
• Friday, December 23 vs. Pittsburgh (8:30PM ET) - no TV coverage.
• Tuesday, December 27 @ Colorado (9PM ET) - no TV coverage.
• Thursday, December 29 vs. Los Angeles (8:30PM ET) - no TV coverage.
• Saturday, December 31 vs. Toronto (7PM ET) - CBC's Hockey Night in Canada for viewer's in Ontario and west. Viewers in Quebec and east will likely get the Canadiens-Panthers game as the early NHL action. Viewers in Ottawa will get regional coverage of the Senators-Sabres game.
• Wednesday, January 4 @ Montreal (7:30PM ET) - NHL on TSN nationally, and RDS in Quebec.
• Thursday, January 5 @ Toronto (7PM ET) - no TV coverage.
• Saturday, January 7 @ Buffalo (7PM ET) - CBC's Hockey Night in Canada for viewer's in Manitoba and west. Viewers in Ontario and east will likely get the Maple Leafs-Red Wings game as the early NHL action. The NHL Network will also broadcast this game. Viewers in Quebec will get regional coverage of the Canadiens-Lightning game.
• Tuesday, January 10 @ Boston (7PM ET) - no TV coverage.
• Thursday, January 12 vs. San Jose (8:30PM ET) - no TV coverage.
• Saturday, January 14 vs. New Jersey (7PM ET) - CBC's Hockey Night in Canada for viewer's in Manitoba and west. Viewers in Ontario and east will likely get the Maple Leafs-Rangers game as the early NHL action. The NHL Network will also broadcast this game. Viewers in Quebec and Ottawa will get regional coverage of the Canadiens-Senators game.
• Monday, January 16 @ Ottawa (7:30PM ET) - no TV coverage.
• Tuesday, January 17 @ New Jersey (7PM ET) - no TV coverage.
• Thursday, January 19 vs. Buffalo (8:30PM ET) - no TV coverage.
• Saturday, January 21 vs. Florida (7PM ET) - CBC's Hockey Night in Canada for viewer's in Manitoba and west. Viewers in Ontario and east will likely get the Maple Leafs-Canadiens game as the early NHL action. The NHL Network and RDS will also broadcast this game.
• Monday, January 23 @ Carolina (7PM ET) - no TV coverage.
• Tuesday, January 24 @ NY Rangers (7PM ET) - no TV coverage.
• Tuesday, January 31 @ Philadelphia (7PM ET) - no TV coverage.
• Thursday, February 2 @ Tampa Bay (7:30PM ET) - no TV coverage.
• Friday, February 3 @ Florida (7:30PM ET) - no TV coverage.
• Sunday, February 5 @ Montreal (2PM ET) - CBC's Hockey Night in Canada nationally.
• Tuesday, February 7 vs. Toronto (8:30PM ET) - no TV coverage.
• Thursday, February 9 @ Washington (7PM ET) - no TV coverage.
• Saturday, February 11 @ Pittsburgh (2PM ET) - This game was originally scheduled for Friday night, but was moved for Hockey Day In Canada. CBC will televise this game regionally for viewers in Manitoba and Saskatchewan. It will also be televised in the US by the NHL Network. The rest of the country will see Ottawa-Edmonton. Those games will be followed the Maple Leafs-Canadiens, and the late game will see the Canucks and Flames tangle.
• Tuesday, February 14 vs. NY Islanders (8:30PM ET) - no TV coverage.
• Thursday, February 16 @ Minnesota (8PM ET) - no TV coverage.
• Friday, February 17 vs. Boston (8PM ET) - NHL on TSN nationally.
• Sunday, February 19 vs. Colorado (8:30PM ET) - no TV coverage.
• Tuesday, February 21 vs. Philadelphia (8:30PM ET) - no TV coverage.
• Thursday, February 23 vs. Tampa Bay (8:30PM ET) - no TV coverage.
• Saturday, February 25 vs. St. Louis (2PM ET) - CBC's Hockey Night in Canada nationally.
• Monday, February 27 vs. Edmonton (8:30PM ET) - no TV coverage.
• Thursday, March 1 vs. Florida (8:30PM ET) - no TV coverage.
• Monday, March 5 vs. Buffalo (8:30PM ET) - This game is televised nationally in the United States by Versus.
• Thursday, March 8 @ Vancouver (10PM ET) - no TV coverage.
• Friday, March 9 @ Calgary (9PM ET) - no TV coverage.
• Wednesday, March 14 vs. Dallas (8:30PM ET) - no TV coverage.
• Friday, March 16 vs. Washington (8:30PM ET) - no TV coverage.
• Sunday, March 18 vs. Carolina (8:30PM ET) - no TV coverage.
• Tuesday, March 20 @ Pittsburgh (7PM ET) - no TV coverage.
• Friday, March 23 @ Washington (7PM ET) - no TV coverage.
• Saturday, March 24 @ Nashville (7PM ET) - CBC's Hockey Night in Canada for viewer's in Manitoba and west. Viewers in Ontario and east will likely get the Maple Leafs-Rangers game as the early NHL action. The Ottawa region will get the Senators-Penguins on this night. Quebec gets the Canadiens-Flyers game, and it will also be broadcast on RDS and the NHL Network.
• Monday, March 26 vs. Ottawa (8:30PM ET) - no TV coverage.
• Wednesday, March 28 vs. NY Rangers (7PM ET) - NHL on TSN nationally.
• Friday, March 30 @ Carolina (7PM ET) - no TV coverage.
• Saturday, March 31 @ Tampa Bay (7PM ET) - CBC's Hockey Night in Canada for viewer's in Manitoba and west. Viewers in Ontario and east will likely get the Maple Leafs-Sabres game as the early NHL action. Ottawa and Philadlphia will get the national game on Saturday afternoon. Quebec gets the Canadiens-Capitals game, and it will also be broadcast on RDS and the NHL Network.
• Tuesday, April 3 @ Florida (7:30PM ET) - no TV coverage.
• Thursday, April 5 @ NY Islanders (7PM ET) - no TV coverage.
• Saturday, April 7 vs. Tampa Bay (7PM ET) - CBC's Hockey Night in Canada for viewer's in Manitoba and west. Viewers in Ontario and east will likely get the Maple Leafs-Canadiens game as the early NHL action, and can catch the French broadcast on RDS. Ottawa and New Jersey will get the national game on Saturday afternoon.

How about that TV schedule? The Jets have more games on CBC than ever in their past history, and I am pumped about getting to see them a lot. In total, 28 Jets games will be broadcast on five networks this season, and that bodes well for future broadcasting years as well. While the Jets will never knock Toronto out of CBC's or TSN's primary spot on Saturday nights, it's good to see those two networks giving the new Jets some airtime.

What do you think of the new schedule? If you're an American hockey fan, are you ok with only seeing the Jets three times next season? And in case you're wondering, the CBC has yet to release the AHL on CBC schedule yet, so I can't tell you when the St. John's IceCaps will be on CBC. Stay tuned for those details, though!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!